Variable cam timing is used in engine to increase combustion efficiency over a wide range of engine operating conditions. For example, intake and/or exhaust valve timing may be advanced or retarded based on various operating conditions such as engine temperature, requested power output, revolutions per minute (RPM), etc., to increase combustion efficiency. As a result, the engine's power output may be increased and emissions may be reduced. Opening for components, such as cam timing solenoid valves, as well as other components used to control a cam phaser configured to alter the timing of an intake or exhaust camshaft may be integrated into the cylinder head. Specifically, openings for solenoid valves and/or oil feed lines may be machined or cast into the cylinder head to route oil to the cam phaser.
However, the Inventors have recognized several drawbacks with casting and machining the aforementioned features into the cylinder head. Firstly, when the features are integrated into the cylinder head, the cylinder head may only be used in engines having variable cam timing. Thus, the engine's design is specialized. As a result, the cylinder head may only be used in specific types of engines, thereby limiting the applicability of the cylinder head and increasing the production cost of the cylinder head.
As such in one approach, an engine provided herein. The engine includes a cylinder head assembly, a cap including an opening, an oil routing plug positioned in the opening including a recess traversing the plug, the recess and a portion of the wall of the opening defining a boundary of a plug oil passage, and an oil supply passage extending through the cylinder head assembly including an inlet fluidly coupled to a lubrication circuit and an outlet opening into the recess.
In this way, oil may be routed through an oil routing plug positioned in an opening. It will be appreciated that that opening may also be configured to receive a solenoid valve instead of an oil routing plug in other embodiments. As a result, the applicability of the cylinder block assembly is increased, thereby decreasing production costs.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.